MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin public worker and teachers unions scored a major legal victory Monday with a ruling that restores collective bargaining rights they lost under a 2011 state law that sparked weeks of protests and made the state the center of the national battle over union rights. That law, known as Act 10, effectively ended the ability of most public employees to bargain for wage increases and other issues, and forced them to pay more for health insurance and retirement benefits. Under the ruling by Dane County Circuit Judge Jacob Frost, all public sector workers who lost their collective bargaining power would have it restored to what was in place prior to 2011. They would be treated the same as the police, firefighter and other public safety unions that were exempted under the law. Republicans vowed to immediately appeal the ruling, which ultimately is likely to go before the Wisconsin Supreme Court. That only amplifies the importance of the April election that will determine whether the court remains controlled 4-3 by liberal justices. Former Gov. Scott Walker, who proposed the law that catapulted him onto the national political stage, decried the ruling in a post on the social media platform X as “brazen political activism.” He said it makes the state Supreme Court election “that much more important.” Supporters of the law have said it provided local governments more control over workers and the powers they needed to cut costs. Repealing the law, which allowed schools and local governments to raise money through higher employee contributions for benefits, would bankrupt those entities, backers of Act 10 have argued. Democratic opponents argue that the law has hurt schools and other government agencies by taking away the ability of employees to collectively bargain for their pay and working conditions. Union leaders were overjoyed with the ruling, which affects tens of thousands of public employees. “We realize there may still be a fight ahead of us in the courts, but make no mistake, we’re ready to keep fighting until we all have a seat at the table again,” said Ben Gruber, a conservation warden and president of AFSCME Local 1215. The law was proposed by Walker and enacted by the Republican-controlled Legislature in spite of massive protests that went on for weeks and drew as many as 100,000 people to the Capitol. The law has withstood numerous legal challenges over the years, but this was the first brought since the Wisconsin Supreme Court flipped to liberal control in 2023. The seven unions and three union leaders that brought the lawsuit argued that the law should be struck down because it creates unconstitutional exemptions for firefighters and other public safety workers. Attorneys for the Legislature and state agencies countered that the exemptions are legal, have already been upheld by other courts, and that the case should be dismissed. But Frost sided with the unions in July, saying the law violates equal protection guarantees in the Wisconsin Constitution by dividing public employees into “general” and “public safety” employees. He ruled that general employee unions, like those representing teachers, can not be treated differently from public safety unions that were exempt from the law. His ruling Monday delineated the dozens of specific provisions in the law that must be struck. Wisconsin Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said he looked forward to appealing the ruling. “This lawsuit came more than a decade after Act 10 became law and after many courts rejected the same meritless legal challenges,” Vos said in a statement. Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, the state's largest business lobbying organization, also decried the ruling. WMC President Kurt Bauer called Act 10 “a critical tool for policymakers and elected officials to balance budgets and find taxpayer savings." The Legislature said in court filings that arguments made in the current case were rejected in 2014 by the state Supreme Court. The only change since that ruling is the makeup of Wisconsin Supreme Court, attorneys for the Legislature argued. The Act 10 law effectively ended collective bargaining for most public unions by allowing them to bargain solely over base wage increases no greater than inflation. It also disallowed the automatic withdrawal of union dues, required annual recertification votes for unions, and forced public workers to pay more for health insurance and retirement benefits. The law was the signature legislative achievement of Walker, who was targeted for a recall election he won. Walker used his fights with unions to mount an unsuccessful presidential run in 2016. Frost, the judge who issued Monday's ruling, appeared to have signed the petition to recall Walker from office. None of the attorneys sought his removal from the case and he did not step down. Frost was appointed to the bench by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who signed the Walker recall petition. The law has also led to a dramatic decrease in union membership across the state. The nonpartisan Wisconsin Policy Forum said in a 2022 analysis that since 2000, Wisconsin had the largest decline in the proportion of its workforce that is unionized. In 2015, the GOP-controlled Wisconsin Legislature approved a right-to-work law that limited the power of private-sector unions. Public sector unions that brought the lawsuit are the Abbotsford Education Association; the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Locals 47 and 1215; the Beaver Dam Education Association; SEIU Wisconsin; the Teaching Assistants’ Association Local 3220 and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 695.Trump sides with Musk in right-wing row over worker visas
I tried Christmas shopping at a charity shop and parents should give it a try
First Financial Bankshares (NASDAQ:FFIN) versus Bank OZK (NASDAQ:OZK) Financial Survey
Moldova's prime minister accused the Kremlin of "oppressive tactics" and weaponizing the energy supply, but Russian energy giant Gazprom blames the upcoming halt on a debt dispute. Russia's Gazprom announced Saturday a halt to gas supplies to Moldova from next month, in a move that's likely to cause severe power cuts. Moscow supplies about 2 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year to the former Soviet republic. The fuel is piped via Ukraine to Moldova's breakaway region of Transnistria — which is backed by Russia . There, it is used to generate cheap power that is then sold to the parts of the country still fully controlled by the Moldovan government. What did Gazprom say about the cut? Gazprom said in a statement it would "introduce a restriction on natural gas supplies to the Republic of Moldova to zero cubic meters per day from 0500 GMT on January 1, 2025." Cutting off the gas will stop supplies to the Kuciurgan power plant, the country's largest, which is situated in the separatist pro-Russian Transnistria region. The Russian energy giant said the move was "in connection with the refusal by the Moldovan side to regulate debts" and that it "reserved the right" to take further action, including terminating the supply contract. According to Russian calculations, the debt stands at $709 million (€680 million). Moldova has put the debt at $8.6 million. Moldova had been expecting the gas cut and introduced a 60-day state of emergency earlier this month to cut gas usage by a third. The country has begun importing gas from Romania and utilizing storage capacities in Ukraine and Romania. How has Moldova reacted? Moldovan prime minister Dorin Recean denounced Moscow for what he called "oppressive tactics" and then accused the Kremlin of using "energy as a political weapon." "This decision confirms once again the intention of the Kremlin to leave the inhabitants of the Transnistrian region without light and heat in the middle of the winter," Recean wrote on Facebook. There are concerns that Transnistria could face hours-long blackouts similar to those experienced by Ukraine due to Russian war attacks on its energy infrastructure . Those power cuts also impacted Moldova. Recean said the "alleged debt has been invalidated by an international audit," referring to calculations by British and Norwegian audit firms which found the debt to be lower. The prime minister said Moldova would consider legal options, possibly including international arbitration. The Moldovan government set up a commission to manage "imminent risks" and on Friday approved a series of measures aimed at saving energy. Moldova to be hit hard by end of Ukraine gas transit deal The move by Gazprom is a precursor to a total shutdown of Russian gas exports to Europe via a transit deal with Ukraine. Despite Russia launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, gas has continued to flow from Russian territory into the EU, with Ukraine earning millions of dollars in transit fees. However, Kyiv has now refused to renew the deal with Russia when it expires on December 31. The Russian gas flows through Ukraine to Slovakia, Austria , Hungary and Italy. It reaches Moldova through separate pipelines running via Ukraine. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moldova's 2.5 million population was entirely dependent on Moscow for natural gas but has since pushed to diversify its energy sources. Russia slowed natural gas supplies to Europe in 2022, citing disputes over payment, a move European leaders described as energy blackmail over their support for Ukraine. European governments scrambled to secure alternative supplies at higher prices, much of it liquefied natural gas brought by ship from the United States and Qatar. mm/dj (AFP, AP, Reuters)Carson Heidecker’s adventurous college football career results in MAC championship at Ohio University
ANDOVER, Mass. , Dec. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- TransMedics Group, Inc. ("TransMedics") (Nasdaq: TMDX), a medical technology company that is transforming organ transplant therapy for patients with end-stage lung, heart, and liver failure, today announced the appointment of Mr. Gerardo Hernandez as the Company's Chief Financial Officer, effective December 2, 2024 . In this role, Mr. Hernandez joins the TransMedics executive leadership team, succeeding Mr. Stephen Gordon . To enable a smooth transition, Mr. Gordon will remain a non-executive employee of the Company until March 31, 2025 , before serving as a non-employee senior advisor to the Company focusing on national transplant stakeholder engagement until March 31, 2026 . TransMedics also updated its 2024 financial outlook. Dr. Waleed Hassanein , Mr. Gerardo Hernandez and Mr. Stephen Gordon will attend the upcoming Piper Sandler Conference on December 3, 2024 , the TransMedics Investor & Analyst Day on December 10, 2024 , as well as the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in January 2025 . Mr. Hernandez is an accomplished finance leader with over 25 years of experience across the healthcare and consumer packaged goods (CPG) sectors. He most recently served as Vice President Finance, Head of Corporate Financial Planning and Analysis at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company focused on RNAi therapeutics. In this role, Mr. Hernandez led a global team as the company scaled rapidly. Prior to his role at Alnylam, Mr. Hernandez spent nearly a decade at Shire, where he rose through the organization, eventually leading corporate FP&A. During his tenure, Shire was acquired by Takeda in a $62 billion transaction, after which he was instrumental in the integration effort. Mr. Hernandez began his career at Unilever where he held several finance roles of increasing responsibility before joining Shire in 2010. Mr. Hernandez holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the University of Wisconsin , La Crosse and an MBA in Strategy and Economics from Fundação Getulio Vargas , Sao Paulo, Brazil . "Stephen has been an exceptional partner to me as a member of the TransMedics leadership team for nearly a decade. During his tenure we transitioned the Company from a clinical stage organization to a high growth, publicly traded commercial business," said Waleed Hassanein , M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer. "On behalf of the entire management team and the Board, I want to thank Stephen for his countless contributions to our business that will have lasting benefits for the Company. I am grateful for Stephen's dedication and efforts to advance our corporate strategy while delivering considerable shareholder value, and I look forward to his continued partnership to affect a smooth transition as we start our next chapter at TransMedics." "I am delighted to welcome Gerardo to the TransMedics leadership team as our new Chief Financial Officer," added Dr. Hassanein. "His proven record over two decades of leadership across FP&A functions within high-growth, complex global organizations makes him an ideal addition to our team. I am looking forward to partnering with Gerardo as we continue to deliver significant long-term corporate growth and shareholder value." "I am thrilled to join TransMedics as Chief Financial Officer," said Mr. Hernandez. "I look forward to working with the entire leadership team to expand access to the Company's unparalleled products and services in the organ transplant field while enhancing operational efficiency and delivering lasting value to both our shareholders and the patients we serve." Dr. Hassanein concluded, "As we enter the final weeks of the fourth quarter, we are also updating our financial outlook for the full year 2024. Our updated guidance reflects our continued expectation for considerable year-over-year revenue growth. We look forward to providing additional context at our upcoming Investor & Analyst Day." 2024 Financial Outlook TransMedics now expects revenue for the full year 2024 to be in the range of $428 million to $432 million, which represents 77% to 79% growth compared to the Company's prior year revenue. Piper Sandler 36th Annual Healthcare Conference Members of the TransMedics management team will participate in a fireside chat at the upcoming Piper Sandler 36th Annual Healthcare Conference at the Lotte New York Palace. The fireside chat will take place on Tuesday, December 3, 2024 , at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time . A live and archived webcast of the fireside chat will be available on the "Investors" section of the TransMedics website at https://investors.transmedics.com . The Company's standard investor presentation is also available through this link. TransMedics Investor & Analyst Day Details TransMedics will discuss the transition and updated financial outlook, as well as the Company's growth strategy, clinical pipeline, and operations, in greater detail at its Investor & Analyst Day in New York City on Tuesday, December 10, 2024 , at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time . A live and archived webcast of presentations and Q&A sessions will be available on the "Investors" section of the TransMedics website at https://investors.transmedics.com . Please note management will only take questions from the live audience during the question-and-answer session following formal presentations. About TransMedics Group, Inc. TransMedics is the world's leader in portable extracorporeal warm perfusion and assessment of donor organs for transplantation. Headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts , the company was founded to address the unmet need for more and better organs for transplantation and has developed technologies to preserve organ quality, assess organ viability prior to transplant, and potentially increase the utilization of donor organs for the treatment of end-stage heart, lung, and liver failure. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements with respect to, among other things, a leadership transition and our full-year guidance. For this purpose, all statements other than statements of historical facts are forward-looking statements. The words "believe," "may," "will," "estimate," "continue," "anticipate," "intend," "expect," "should," "could," "target," "predict," "seek" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Our management cannot predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in or implied by any forward-looking statements we may make. In light of these risks and uncertainties, the forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this press release may not occur and actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated in or implied by the forward-looking statements. Some of the key factors that could cause actual results to differ include: our ability to maintain profitability on a sustained basis; our ability to attract, train and retain key personnel; our existing and any future indebtedness, including our ability to comply with affirmative and negative covenants under our credit agreement to which we will remain subject until maturity; the fluctuation of our financial results from quarter to quarter; our need to raise additional funding and our ability to obtain it on favorable terms, or at all; our ability to use net operating losses and research and development credit carryforwards; our dependence on the success of the Organ Care System or OCS; our ability to expand access to the OCS through our National OCS Program or NOP; our ability to scale our manufacturing and sterilization capabilities to meet increasing demand for our products; the rate and degree of market acceptance of the OCS; our ability to educate patients, surgeons, transplant centers and private and public payors on the benefits offered by the OCS; our ability to improve the OCS platform and develop the next generation of the OCS products; our dependence on a limited number of customers for a significant portion of our revenue; our ability to maintain regulatory approvals or clearances for our OCS products in the United States , the European Union, and other select jurisdictions worldwide; our ability to adequately respond to the Food and Drug Administration or FDA, or other competent authorities, follow-up inquiries in a timely manner; the performance of our third-party suppliers and manufacturers; our use of third parties to transport donor organs and medical personnel for our NOP and our ability to maintain and grow our logistics capabilities to support our NOP and reduce dependence on third party transportation, including by means of attracting, training and retaining pilots, and the acquisition, maintenance or replacement of fixed-wing aircraft for our aviation transportation services or other acquisitions, joint ventures or strategic investments; our ability to maintain Federal Aviation Administration or FAA or other regulatory licenses or approvals for our aircraft transportation services; price increases of the components of our products and maintenance, parts and fuel for our aircraft; the timing or results of post-approval studies and any clinical trials for the OCS; our manufacturing, sales, marketing and clinical support capabilities and strategy; attacks against our information technology infrastructure; the economic, political and other risks associated with our foreign operations; our ability to protect, defend, maintain and enforce our intellectual property rights relating to the OCS and avoid allegations that our products infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate the intellectual property rights of third parties; the pricing of the OCS, as well as the reimbursement coverage for the OCS in the United States and internationally; regulatory developments in the United States, European Union and other jurisdictions; the extent and success of competing products or procedures that are or may become available; our ability to service our 1.50% convertible senior notes, due 2028; the impact of any product recalls or improper use of our products; our estimates regarding revenues, expenses and needs for additional financing; and other factors that may be described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Additional information will be made available in our annual and quarterly reports and other filings that we make with the SEC. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and we are not able to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law. Investor Contact: Brian Johnston Laine Morgan 332-895-3222 Investors@transmedics.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/transmedics-appoints-gerardo-hernandez-as-chief-financial-officer-and-provides-updated-2024-financial-outlook-302320060.html SOURCE TransMedics Group, Inc.Donald Hand Jr. racked up a career-high 29 points and 10 rebounds to help Boston College stave off visiting Fairleigh Dickinson 78-70 on Saturday in Chestnut Hill, Mass. Chad Venning added 18 points on 8-for-10 shooting and Dion Brown contributed eight points, eight rebounds and four assists as the Eagles (8-5) wrapped up their nonconference slate with just their second win in six games. Ahmed Barba-Bey, a grad transfer from Division II, exploded for a season-high 31 points to power FDU (4-11). Barba-Bey buried 8 of 9 attempts from the 3-point arc. Terrence Brown added 15 of his 20 points in the second half, as the Knights made it close before falling to 0-10 on the road this season. Bismark Nsiah scored 10 points. Boston College led 70-59 with 3:39 to play when Barba-Bey was fouled attempting a corner 3. He made all three of his foul shots, and after a stop Brown got to the bucket to cut FDU's deficit to six. It was 72-67 when Venning made a clutch turnaround jumper from the high post with 51 seconds left. Boston College let Barba-Bey get loose for his eighth 3-pointer, pulling FDU within four, its closest margin of the half. But Hand drove to the basket and scored with 29 seconds on the clock, and FDU was out of time. The Knights trailed by as many as 12 in the first half, but Barba-Bey kept them in the game. He made a fastbreak layup off Brown's steal and added a 3-pointer on the next possession, turning what was a 10-point deficit to a manageable 29-24 game. Boston College led 38-28 at halftime, with Hand scoring 15 for the hosts and Barba-Bey pouring in 16 for the Knights, including 4-of-5 shooting from deep. FDU pulled within nine points three times in the early stages of the second half, the third coming when Nsiah knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to make it 56-47 with about 10 minutes to go. --Field Level Media
Majestic Capital ( OTCMKTS:MAJCQ – Get Free Report ) and ProAssurance ( NYSE:PRA – Get Free Report ) are both finance companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, profitability, institutional ownership, dividends, earnings, analyst recommendations and valuation. Earnings and Valuation This table compares Majestic Capital and ProAssurance”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Majestic Capital has higher earnings, but lower revenue than ProAssurance. Profitability Analyst Recommendations This is a summary of current ratings and recommmendations for Majestic Capital and ProAssurance, as reported by MarketBeat. ProAssurance has a consensus price target of $18.67, suggesting a potential upside of 12.18%. Given ProAssurance’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe ProAssurance is more favorable than Majestic Capital. Institutional and Insider Ownership 85.6% of ProAssurance shares are owned by institutional investors. 14.3% of Majestic Capital shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 1.0% of ProAssurance shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term. Summary ProAssurance beats Majestic Capital on 8 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks. About Majestic Capital ( Get Free Report ) Majestic Capital, Ltd., through its subsidiaries, provides workers’ compensation insurance products. The company underwrites workers’ compensation insurance products through independent insurance brokers and agents to various size businesses; and excess and frequency coverage policies to self-insured entities. It offers primary workers’ compensation insurance to employers in Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Utah, Virginia, and Washington. The company also engages in underwriting reinsurance. In addition, it offers various management services, including general management, underwriting, risk assessment, general recordkeeping, and regulatory compliance services; safety and loss control services; and claims management services to self-insured groups under fee-for-service arrangements. Further, the company acts as a broker for insurers and places the excess coverage for the groups. It serves transportation, healthcare, wholesale and retail, manufacturing, and hospitality industries; contractors; and colleges and universities. Majestic Capital, Ltd. was formerly known as CRM Holdings, Ltd. and changed its name to Majestic Capital, Ltd. in May 2010. Majestic Capital, Ltd. was founded in 1999 and is based in Hamilton, Bermuda. About ProAssurance ( Get Free Report ) ProAssurance Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides property and casualty insurance, and reinsurance products in the United States. The company operates through Specialty Property and Casualty, Workers’ Compensation Insurance, and Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segments. It offers professional liability insurance to healthcare providers and institutions, and attorneys and their firms; medical technology liability insurance to medical technology and life sciences companies; and custom alternative risk solutions, including assumed reinsurance, loss portfolio transfers, and captive cell programs for healthcare professional liability insureds. The company also provides workers’ compensation insurance products, such as guaranteed cost policies, policyholder dividend policies, retrospectively rated policies, and deductible policies, as well as alternative market solutions that include program design, fronting, claims administration, risk management, SPC rental, asset management, and SPC management services for individual companies, agencies, groups, and associations. The company also participates in Syndicate 1729 at Lloyd’s of London for underwriting. It markets its products through independent agencies and brokers, as well as an internal business development team. The company was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. Receive News & Ratings for Majestic Capital Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Majestic Capital and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .H&M CELEBRATES NEW STORE WITH CHRISTINA AGUILERA NEW YORK , Nov. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today at noon, H&M celebrated the reopening of its iconic Times Square flagship, located at 1472 Broadway, with a special appearance and ribbon cutting ceremony with global pop superstar Christina Aguilera . The refined space, featuring elevated aesthetics and materials, includes immersive experiences showcasing the very best of the brand's fashion identity. At the time of opening, the store will showcase a variety of fashion-forward collections including the H&M Studio Holiday Capsule, which was launched in select stores and online today, offering a modern take on partywear. The store caps off a season of investment and reignited direction for the Swedish brand in its U.S. home of New York City . "I am so excited to be here at H&M's gorgeous new store, in Times Square no less," said Christina Aguilera . "What perfect timing for this location to reopen with their new collection just before the start of the holiday season. We're very excited to bring on the joy for the season!" This fall, H&M celebrates the launch of its most impressive season of fashion yet, which will be on full display at the new Times Square store. The fully redesigned flagship is an elevated, dynamic space featuring women's and men's collections, including special shop-in-shop destinations for H&M Move, the brand's sport offering, as well as denim, lingerie, and accessories. The location will also carry clothing for children ranging from newborn to 10 years old. "H&M debuted in the US nearly 25 years ago with a flagship location in New York City . As a pivotal city for our brand, we continue to invest in our NYC stores to ensure they remain cutting-edge and inspirational to our ever-evolving customer," says Michael Beaumont , Regional Head of Expansion for H&M Americas. "With this refreshed flagship store, customers will be able to see and feel H&M's strengthened brand identity firsthand through hyper-curated artistic and design elements, innovative technologies, and interactive experiences — all anchored by H&M's diverse fashion offerings." The focus on customer experience is reflected in the brand-new immersive fitting area, a first in North America , where fashion lovers can explore trends, try on looks, and bring their style dreams to life. The fitting rooms, a first offer a customizable, multi-sensory experience with LED screens in the floor and ceiling, along with interactive mirrors. Customers can express themselves by selecting visual themes and music based on their style choices and moods, making the shopping experience more personalized and engaging. With visuals and music curated specifically for the new store, these rooms will also encourage customers to create and share their own content. "Our Times Square location is an amazing new space for customers to interact with our brand as well as each other," says Linda Li , Head of Customer Activation and Marketing for H&M Americas. "Features like our new immersive fitting rooms combine music, fashion and fun to let our customers become their own style star." The redesigned flagship showcases impressive new design features like an iconic glass wall flanking each side of the main escalator, designed by Denver based agency, Hovercraft. This signature piece combines art and technology into a multi-story ambient light display, providing customers with a dazzling show on their way to the upper levels. Other interior upgrades include fluted concrete panels, seamless terrazzo flooring, custom built wood fitting rooms and two enormous LED screens on the ground and second floor. Contact: mediarelations.us@hm.com For more images of the opening and new store, click here . For more information from the H&M group and press images visit hmgroup.com/media View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hm-reopens-iconic-times-square-flagship-in-new-york-city-as-new-brand-showcase-302313611.html SOURCE H&M © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
The events of the Nov. 5 presidential election divided states, demographics and, in many cases, families. President-elect Donald Trump’s supporters celebrated the Republican candidate’s victory, while many who championed Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris fell into despair. With Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and other holidays following so closely on the heels of Election Day, the emotional wounds that opened between family members on different sides of the political divide are still fresh — and could affect how families celebrate the holidays. Local mental health professionals are reporting an uptick in anxiety, anger, confusion and depression among their patients. Some of those negative emotions are caused by family conflicts. “Something like politics, culture, these are issues that we as humans don’t really have as much control over, so there’s that helplessness that my clients feel regarding the election,” said licensed social worker Amber Kanoza of Pittsburgh’s Carrick neighborhood. “It’s been quite a turbulent past couple of weeks, being able to navigate what it all means,” said music therapist Elizabeth Ambrose of Pittsburgh’s East Liberty. Several local residents declined to talk on the record to TribLive about their holiday plans, citing concerns that doing so would inflame already tense relationships. Even under normal circumstances, the holidays can be stressful. But with these heightened conditions, local professionals offered strategies that they’re giving their patients to survive any verbal missiles lobbed over turkey and mashed potatoes. Should I stay or should I go? For those weighing the decision of whether to opt out of a family gathering, licensed social worker Jess Schiermeister — who sees clients at a private practice in Hampton — said people should look at the pros and cons. “I always encourage folks to do a cost-benefit analysis,” she said. “Which option would have a more harmful impact to them?” Many therapists stressed the importance of setting boundaries. Ambrose has put that into practice in her personal life as well. “Even now, with politics being so polarized, a lot of those discussions can go awry very quickly, and being in certain settings, feelings can become elevated,” she said. “I’ve found success in trying to avoid and protect my peace as much as I can.” Setting boundaries includes warning family members ahead of time about topics you won’t discuss and removing yourself from the situation if those wishes are repeatedly ignored. “I recognize that’s really hard,” Ambrose said. “Try to have those firm boundaries and be very upfront.” Keep your feet on the ground Two pieces of advice consistently arose among the pros for those keeping their regular holiday traditions: Have a plan and keep your emotions under control. Kanoza suggested grounding and mindfulness exercises. “The purpose of doing that is having a sense of awareness for yourself: What do I need? How am I feeling? Where am I feeling this stress?” she said. Taking five minutes to breathe, meditate and take stock of your body and mind beforehand can be a big help. Schiermeister suggested going so far as writing a script in your phone’s notes app for how you will respond to unwanted political talk. Aaron Beckley, a licensed clinical social worker in private practice in Hampton, recommended a technique called “gray rocking.” “Imagine yourself as a rock,” Beckley said. “If it rains, you’re a rock; it doesn’t matter. If the sun beats down, you’re a rock. Imagine yourself that way, no matter what they say. Your emotions are yours. How you express them is under your control.” Self-care matters If things get heated, there are strategies to employ during — and after — to lower your stress levels. Being a music therapist, Ambrose often directs clients to make carefully curated playlists to help with emotional regulation. Start with music that matches your anger or anxiety, then taper off. “Slowly decrease it or move it to a place where maybe there’s some calmer music at the tail end of the playlist, moving ... from a ragey state to a more relaxed place,” she said. Feel free to take a break. If a conversation is escalating, “Go hang out with the dog for a while, go outside, take a walk, go to the bathroom, call a friend, say a prayer, do whatever works,” said Mike Elliot, licensed professional counselor and clinical director of Elliot Counseling in East Liberty. Creating a “self-soothe kit” is a way to relax all five senses, Schiermeister said. Bundle items you find comforting using the guide of smell, taste, touch, sight and sound. “Is there a particular soft blanket they like? Is there a particular candle that they really enjoy? Is there a TV show that always brings them comfort?” Elliot said. These collections can be made portable in the midst of heightened situations. Take a square of your favorite chocolate, some great-smelling lotion and other objects in a purse, or leave them in your car for easy access. Building a found family For the 23% who are avoiding their relatives this year, finding a community of their own will be an important step. “Really lean on the people who are going through similar issues as you. What we can do is help comfort each other,” Kanoza said. No matter the politics, people may feel walled off from their typical support system for any number of reasons. Schiermeister said they shouldn’t feel lonely. “The week of the election, every single one of my clients said that they felt alone — all of them. And obviously they’re not, because each and every one of them said that to me,” she said. Hosting a “Friendsgiving” event and finding new ways to celebrate traditions will help keep the holidays bright. “I’d recommend looking at it the same way that someone would feel with grief, like if a loved one died and this was the first holiday without them,” Beckley said. “Remember those positive times. What were the traditions that were meaningful? How do I take that and do it for myself to hold the meaning that I want?” Bridging the divide Eventually working to heal the divide will require patience, self-reflection and acknowledgment of others’ feelings. With just a little more than three weeks between the presidential contest and the start of the holiday season, some will have to understand that there just hasn’t been time to process yet. Compassion for everyone will be required. “Try to be more mindful and try to be more empathetic as to why those individuals are reacting the way that they are. There’s space to grow and investigate,” Kanoza said. Schiermeister hopes there could be more space for listening, not just reacting. “And when I say listening, I don’t mean immediately becoming defensive or turning it into an argument,” she said. “Pointing fingers at each other isn’t getting us anywhere,” Elliot said. “So I think, where I can come in and have a positive conversation? I’m going to try to do that. And where I don’t feel that’s possible, I’m going to keep walking.”Microsoft's standard routine has it announcing new waves of Xbox Game Pass titles on the first and second Tuesdays of every month. However, when it is bringing a game from its Activision-Blizzard library over to Game Pass, a separate announcement goes up ahead of a wave. The last time this happened was in November when the company was bringing over for the subscription service. Today, the official Xbox social media account that is coming to Xbox Game Pass on December 4. The post even includes a short video with the game's starting signal lights going green for Game Pass: Start your engines and get ready to race in 3...2...1... CRASH TEAM RACING NITRO-FUELED IS COMING TO DECEMBER 4! 🏎️ 💨 is a remaster of the classic kart racer that was released in 1999. The original was developed by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation, but the remaster is by Beenox, who brought the title to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch in 2019. In multiplayer, the game supports local play with up to four players, while multiplayer can have up to eight players racing with support for matchmaking. The original game's game modes, characters, tracks, power-ups, weapons, and controls are all here as well. The remaster even brings back the original racer's single-player adventure mode. It has players going up against the Nitros Oxide alien to save Earth. The remaster touts optional customization options that let players switch up the characters and the kart looks. As for characters, the remaster touts 56 of them to race with, bringing in content from Crash Nitro Kart and Crash Tag Team Racing. The classic boosting and reserve systems return but with some added enhancements for modern systems, including a power-slide function similar to other kart racers. The complete Xbox Game Pass wave announcement should also go live tomorrow, December 3, which will include many more games than just .NEW YORK (AP) — Technology stocks pulled Wall Street to another record amid a mixed Monday of trading. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% from its all-time high set on Friday to post a record for the 54th time this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 128 points, or 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite gained 1%. Super Micro Computer, a stock that’s been on an AI-driven roller coaster, soared 28.7% to lead the market. Following allegations of misconduct and the resignation of its public auditor , the maker of servers used in artificial-intelligence technology said an investigation found no evidence of misconduct by its management or by the company’s board. It also said that it doesn’t expect to restate its past financials and that it will find a new chief financial officer, appoint a general counsel and make other moves to strengthen its governance. Big Tech stocks also helped prop up the market. Gains of 1.8% for Microsoft and 3.2% for Meta Platforms were the two strongest forces pushing upward on the S&P 500. Intel was another propellant during the morning, but it lost an early gain to fall 0.5% after the chip company said CEO Pat Gelsinger has retired and stepped down from the board. Intel is looking for Gelsinger’s replacement, and its chair said it’s “committed to restoring investor confidence.” Intel recently lost its spot in the Dow Jones Industrial Average to Nvidia, which has skyrocketed in Wall Street’s frenzy around AI. Stellantis, meanwhile, skidded following the announcement of its CEO’s departure . Carlos Tavares steps down after nearly four years in the top spot of the automaker, which owns car brands like Jeep, Citroën and Ram, amid an ongoing struggle with slumping sales and an inventory backlog at dealerships. The world’s fourth-largest automaker’s stock fell 6.3% in Milan. The majority of stocks in the S&P 500 likewise fell, including California utility PG&E. It dropped 5% after saying it would sell $2.4 billion of stock and preferred shares to raise cash. Retailers were mixed amid what’s expected to be the best Cyber Monday on record and coming off Black Friday . Target, which recently gave a forecast for the holiday season that left investors discouraged , fell 1.2%. Walmart , which gave a more optimistic forecast, rose 0.2%. Amazon, which looks to benefit from online sales from Cyber Monday, climbed 1.4%. All told, the S&P 500 added 14.77 points to 6,047.15. The Dow fell 128.65 to 44,782.00, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 185.78 to 19,403.95. The stock market largely took Donald Trump’s latest threat on tariffs in stride. The president-elect on Saturday threatened 100% tariffs against a group of developing economies if they act to undermine the U.S. dollar. Trump said he wants the group, headlined by Brazil, Russia, India and China, to promise it won’t create a new currency or otherwise try to undercut the U.S. dollar. The dollar has long been the currency of choice for global trade. Speculation has also been around a long time that other currencies could knock it off its mantle, but no contender has come close. The U.S. dollar’s value rose Monday against several other currencies, but one of its strongest moves likely had less to do with the tariff threats. The euro fell amid a political battle in Paris over the French government’s budget . The euro sank 0.7% against the U.S. dollar and broke below $1.05. In the bond market, Treasury yields gave up early gains to hold relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury climbed above 4.23% during the morning before falling back to 4.19%. That was just above its level of 4.18% late Friday. A report in the morning showed the U.S. manufacturing sector contracted again last month, but not by as much as economists expected. This upcoming week will bring several big updates on the job market, including the October job openings report, weekly unemployment benefits data and the all-important November jobs report. They could steer the next moves for Federal Reserve, which recently began pulling interest rates lower to give support to the economy. Economists expect Friday’s headliner report to show U.S. employers accelerated their hiring in November, coming off October’s lackluster growth that was hampered by damaging hurricanes and strikes. “We now find ourselves in the middle of this Goldilocks zone, where economic health supports earnings growth while remaining weak enough to justify potential Fed rate cuts,” according to Mark Hackett, chief of investment research at Nationwide. In financial markets abroad, Chinese stocks led gains worldwide as monthly surveys showed improving conditions for manufacturing, partly driven by a surge in orders ahead of Trump’s inauguration next month. Both official and private sector surveys of factory managers showed strong new orders and export orders, possibly partly linked to efforts by importers in the U.S. to beat potential tariff hikes by Trump once he takes office. Indexes rose 0.7% in Hong Kong and 1.1% in Shanghai. AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.Former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh cremated in New Delhi
Saudi Arabia banned film for 35 years. The Red Sea festival is just one sign of the industry's rise2 No-Brainer High-Yield Dividend Growth Stocks to Buy With $500 Right NowThrivent Financial for Lutherans trimmed its holdings in SPS Commerce, Inc. ( NASDAQ:SPSC – Free Report ) by 5.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 29,132 shares of the software maker’s stock after selling 1,610 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans owned 0.08% of SPS Commerce worth $5,657,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the business. CIBC Asset Management Inc bought a new stake in shares of SPS Commerce during the 3rd quarter worth about $210,000. Zions Bancorporation N.A. boosted its position in SPS Commerce by 16.8% during the third quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 13,591 shares of the software maker’s stock worth $2,639,000 after purchasing an additional 1,959 shares during the period. Huntington National Bank grew its holdings in SPS Commerce by 63.0% during the third quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 445 shares of the software maker’s stock valued at $86,000 after purchasing an additional 172 shares during the last quarter. KBC Group NV raised its position in shares of SPS Commerce by 14.6% in the third quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,076 shares of the software maker’s stock valued at $209,000 after purchasing an additional 137 shares during the period. Finally, Parametrica Management Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of SPS Commerce in the third quarter worth $404,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.96% of the company’s stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades SPSC has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Northland Securities downgraded shares of SPS Commerce from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $205.00 to $209.00 in a report on Monday, July 29th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and set a $230.00 price objective on shares of SPS Commerce in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on SPS Commerce from $186.00 to $188.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on SPS Commerce from $240.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Finally, Northland Capmk cut SPS Commerce from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 29th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $223.63. SPS Commerce Price Performance SPSC opened at $189.13 on Friday. SPS Commerce, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $160.58 and a fifty-two week high of $218.74. The company has a market capitalization of $7.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 90.49 and a beta of 0.84. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $186.64 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $191.24. SPS Commerce ( NASDAQ:SPSC – Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The software maker reported $0.92 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.83 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $163.69 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $160.30 million. SPS Commerce had a net margin of 12.83% and a return on equity of 12.60%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 20.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.53 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that SPS Commerce, Inc. will post 2.39 EPS for the current fiscal year. Insider Buying and Selling In other SPS Commerce news, CEO Chadwick Collins sold 6,839 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $169.69, for a total transaction of $1,160,509.91. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 54,446 shares in the company, valued at $9,238,941.74. This represents a 11.16 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link . 1.00% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. SPS Commerce Profile ( Free Report ) SPS Commerce, Inc provides cloud-based supply chain management solutions in the United States and internationally. It offers solutions through the SPS Commerce, a cloud-based platform that enhances the way retailers, grocers, suppliers, distributors, and logistics firms manage and fulfill omnichannel orders, optimize sell-through performance, and automate new trading relationships. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SPSC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for SPS Commerce, Inc. ( NASDAQ:SPSC – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for SPS Commerce Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SPS Commerce and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .